Word of the Day

: November 2, 2020

exult

verb ig-ZULT

What It Means

1 : to be extremely joyful : rejoice

2 obsolete : to leap for joy

exult in Context

"… the film is scratching a particular of-the-moment itch such that watching them play right now feels more vibrant than only listening to them play.… And maybe it's just a treat to see them and watch how Springsteen exults in this band of brothers and sisters, how he praises and salutes them in their first album together of mainly original material in eight years...." — Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2020

"Schmuecker and our companion didn't say much about the fishing, either, but they exulted over spending such a splendid day on such a beautiful river." — Bryan Hendricks, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 27 Sept. 2020

Did You Know?

Exult leaped into English in the 16th century as a verb meaning "to leap for joy." George Chapman used it that way in a translation of Homer's Iliad: "To drive his chariot through the waves. From whirl pits every way the whales exulted under him," he interprets. This use of the verb skipped around in English until the 18th century, when it gracefully exited the everyday lexicon, leaving the verb's other meaning—"to be extremely joyful; to rejoice"—to stay the course. Exult springs from Latin saltare ("to leap"), also the source of saltation, a word for leaping as well as dancing. Another etymological cousin of exult is sally, meaning "to leap out" or "to set out," as in "After the storm passed, the hikers sallied forth."